{{Infobox Website
|name = Gay Youth UK
|logo = [[Image:Gyuklogo.jpg|200px]]
|screenshot = [[Image:Gyukforum.jpg]]
|caption = GYUK forum
|url = http://www.gyuk.co.uk/
|type = LGBT support
|owner = Tim McGrath
|author = Nick Duriez and [[David Joseph Henry]]
|launch date = 1997
}}

'''Gay Youth UK''' or in more recent times '''GYUK''' is a website and message board [[Internet forum|forum]] for [[United Kingdom|British]] [[gay]], [[lesbian]], [[bisexuality|bisexual]], [[gender dysphoria|transgendered]] and [[questioning]] people under the age of 25.

[[GYUK]] is mainly an online [[support]] group, helping others in the young [[gay community|LGBT community]] deal with issues such as [[coming out]], [[bullying]] and [[homophobia]], alongside issues of [[sexual intercourse|sex]] and relationships. The forums and website also provide support on more general personal issues, unrelated to [[human sexuality|sexuality]], such as family problems and [[mental health]]. 

In recent times, the inclusion of a current affairs forum has broadened and increased discussion of home and worldwide events and politics. [[GYUK]] is similar to many other internet forums, with the usual [[internet memes]], quizzes and games.

== History ==
GYUK was founded by Nick Duriez and [[David Joseph Henry]] in [[1997]] as a support website for the Gay Youth community, which, at the time, was considered ground-breaking and was commended by other online LGBT groups.<ref>Duriez, Nick: [http://web.archive.org/web/20001202175300/www.gayyouthuk.co.uk/awards.asp GYUK "Awards" section Oct, 23 2000] Retrieved from the [[Internet Archive]].</ref> The Site rose from the '#GAYYOUTHUK' [[Internet Relay Chat|IRC]] chat group which was linked in with the site. The IRC Group closed and the site's members began to use [[Yahoo! Groups]] (at the time called EGroups). This email [http://www.gayyouthuk.org.uk/community/discussion_list.phtml group] continues to this day.

In [[1999]] a group of members led by David Henry decided there was a need for another 'real-life' presence organisation and formed the (sometimes considered "rival") organisation [[Queer Youth Alliance]].

Since the formation of QYA, [[GYUK]] was handed from Nick Duriez to Tim McGrath in 1999 who presently still owns, co-ordinates and runs the site ([[as of 2006]]). Tim shared some of his management of the forum with member 'Recuerdo' and, later, 'Ludo', who together make up the site's current Administration, assisted by a team of moderators.

== Internet Meets ==

Regularly site members meet in cities across the  [[United Kingdom|UK]] to socialise and relax in real life. The first of these meets was in [[2004]], held in [[Birmingham]] on the 29th of April. 'Recuerdo' spearheaded the first GYUK '[[London]] Meet' first held in August 2004. Meets are regularly held throughout the entire country.

==See also==
*[[Asexuality]]
*[[Bisexuality]]
*[[Gay]]
*[[GLBTQ]]
*[[Homosexuality]]
*[[Lesbian]]
*[[Transgenderism]]

==Notes==
<!--See [[Wikipedia:Footnotes]] for an explanation of how to generate footnotes using the <ref(erences/)> tags-->
<references/>

==External links==
*[http://www.gayyouthuk.org.uk/ Gay Youth UK website]
*[http://www.gyuk.co.uk/forums/ GYUK Forums]
*[http://www.gyuk.co.uk/ GYUK Organisation main] 
*[http://www.ludo.org.uk/homo.htm GYUK review]
*[http://queeryouth.org.uk/ Queer Youth Alliance]

[[Category:LGBT forums]]
[[Category:Community websites]]
[[Category:1997 establishments]]